Holdback.



G. HASTINGS.

HOLDBAGK.

APPLICATION mum DEO.18, 1908.

Patented July 20,1909.

8140mm flar lwffmiingg ANDREW. a. GRAHAM can FNOTGLIYNOGRAPHERS,WASIHNGTOL n. a

pnrrn s'rrrr CURTIS HASTINGS, OF JASONVILLE, INDIANA.

HOLDB AGK.

s rrrrnnr Brion.

Patented July 20, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CURTIS HASTINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jasonville, in the county of Greene and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I-Ioldbacks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inharness, relating more particularly to an improved breechingconstruction of that type having a holdback secured transversely of theshafts of the vehicle, and the invention has for its obj ect a Simple,durable and eflicient construction of device of this character whichembodies improved attaching means, whereby the holdback is renderedsusceptible of application to shafts of different sizes and capable ofbeing adjusted longitudinally and vertically to suit the horse, while atthe same time being adapted to be quickly and conveniently detached fromthe shafts when not desired for use, the device possessing certain otheradvantages that will become at once apparent as the invention ishereinafter disclosed, over the ordinary breeching constructions ingeneral use.

YVith this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructionsand arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe,and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims. i

For a full understanding of the inven tion and the merits thereof, andto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is tobe had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of myimproved breeching construction; Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view ofone of the attaching devices; and, Fi 3 is a vertical section thereof.

borresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

My invention is designed to be applied to a pair of vehicle shafts 1,and consists essentially of a holdback proper 2 which is Sup portedtransversely of the same and may be of any desired or approvedconstruction or design. In the present instance, however, this holdbackconsists of a curved bar or core 3 which is formed with oppositelydisposed outstanding ends 4t and which is preferably incased in aleather or other suitable covering 5 so as to prevent the animal frombecoming injured from contact therewith. As' the preferred means forsupporting the holdback 2 in position, I provide two attaching memberswhich are substantially similar and which are mounted upon the oppositeshafts 1 and engage the outstanding ends 4 of the holdback, ashereinafter described. Each of these attaching devices consists of aninverted U-shaped clip 6 which substantially embraces the shaft and hasits ends threaded as indicated at 7 and arranged to protrude downwardlythrough transversely spaced openings 8 formed in a clip plate 9, theinner opening being preferably transversely elongated, as shown, so asto afiord the corresponding end of the clip limited play therein. Nuts10 work upon the threaded ends 7 of the clip, below the clip plate 9,and are adapted to be screwed up against the latter to mount theattaching device upon the shaft and hold it securely in longitudinallyadjusted position thereon. The clip plates 9 have their inner oropposing ends extended and provided with upwardly disposed attachinglugs 11 which extend along the inner sides of the shafts and terminateabove the same, and which are formed with vertical slots 12 extendinglongitudinally therethrough. The outstanding ends 4 of the holdback 2are designed to eX- tend across the corresponding ends of the respectiveattaching lugs 11, and each of said ends 4; carries one or more bolts13, although two are preferably employed and are mounted in the verticalslots 12, as shown, the said bolts being arranged one above the otherand being spaced apart a distance less than the length of the slots 12so as to be capable of having a limited vertical movement therein. Atthe other ends of the attaching lugs 11, the respective pairs of bolts13 engage glands 14 that are held in position thereon by means of nuts15, the contracting surfaces of the glands and the lugs beingcorrespondingly serrated,-as indicated at 16.

In the practical use of my improved holdback, the clips 6 are applied tothe respec tive shafts 1 and the clip plates 9' are then slipped on theextremities of the clips 6 and are held thereon through theinstrumentality of the nuts 10, the nuts being tightened against theclip plates to hold the clips in the desired longitudinally adjustedpositions. The pairs of bolts 13 carried by the opposite ends of theholdback are then inserted through the slots 12 of the respectiveattaching lugs 11 and the respective glands 14 are mounted upon theextremities of the pairs of bolts, the nuts 15' being then applied tothe bolts, as before described. Inasmuch as the pairs of bolts 13 arespaced apart a less distance than the length of the slots 12, it will bemanifest that these bolts may be moved in the slots and raise or lowerthe holdback into the desired vertically adjusted position in relationto the horse, and the nuts 14 are tightened against the gland 15 to holdthe serrations l6 interlocked, and thus maintain the holdbackeffectually against accidental displacement.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved holdbackwhich may be readily applied to the shafts of a vehicle, and may be heldin the desired longitudinally and vertically adjusted positionsaccording as found most suitable to the horse; which in addition to itsfunction as a holdback, also serves to prevent the horse from damagingthe vehicle by kicking; which is arranged to supersede the old breechingof the harness, and thus reduces the number of parts of the latter andadmits of the hitching and unhitching of the horse being accomplishedwith greater facility; which embodies the characteristics of simplicity,durability and strength, and which consists of comparatively few partsthat may be easily and cheaply manufactured and readily assembled.

Having thus described the invention, what- I claim is:

1. In a breeching of the character described, the combination ofattaching devices designed to be mounted upon the shafts and carryingattaching lugs having vertical slots extending therethrough, a holdbackprovided at its opposite ends with threaded elements passing through therespective slots andslidingly mounted for vertical movement therein, andmeans working upon the threaded elements and engaging with the attachinglugs to maintain the former in adjusted positions in the slots.

2. In a breeching of the character described, the combination ofattaching devices designed to be mounted upon the shafts and carryingattaching lugs having vertical slots extending therethrough, a holdbackprovided at its ends with threaded elements passing through therespective slots and slidingly mounted for vertical movement therein,nuts working upon the threaded ele-' ments, and means cooperating withthe nuts for maintaining the threaded elements in adjusted positions inthe slots.-

3. In a breeching of the character described, the combination ofattaching devices designed to be mounted upon the shafts and carryingattaching lugs having vertical slots extending therethrough, a holdbackextending between the attaching devices and provided at its oppositeends with horizontally disposed threaded elements slidingly mounted inthe slots of the respective attaching lugs and projecting therebeyond,nuts working upon the projecting ends of the threaded elements, andmeans carried by the threaded elements and interposed between the nutsand the attaching lugs for engaging the latter to maintain the threadedelements in different vertically adjusted positions in the slots.

t. In a breeching of the character described, the combination ofattaching devices designed to be mounted upon the shafts and carryingattaching lugs having vertical slots extending therethrough, a holdbackextending between the attaching devices and provided at its oppositeends with horizontally disposed threaded elements slidingly mounted inthe slots of the respective attaching lugs and projecting therebeyond,nuts mounted upon the projecting portions of the threaded elements, andglands also mounted upon the projecting portions of the threadedelements and interposed between the nuts and the attaching lugs andhaving an operative engagement with the latter, as and for the purposespecified.

5. Ina breeching of the character described, the combination ofattaching de vices designed to be mounted upon the shafts and carryingattaching lugs having vertical slots extending therethrough, a holdbackextending between the attaching devices and provided at its oppositeends with horizontally disposed threaded elements slidingly mounted inthe slots of the respective attaching lugs and projecting therebeyond,nuts mounted upon the projecting portions of the threaded elements, andglands also mounted upon the projecting portions of the threadedelements and interposed between the nuts and the attaching lugs, thecontact ing surfaces of the glands and the attaching lugs being formedwith interlocking serrations, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a breeching of the character described, the combination ofattaching devices embodying cli s designed to be mounted upon the shaftsand clip plates secured to the clips, the clip plates being formed withattaching lugs having vertical slots extending therethrough, a holdbackextending between the attaching devices and provided at its oppositeends with horizonhaving an operative "engagement with the tally disposedthreaded elements slidingly latter, as and for the purpose specified. 10mounted in the slots of the respective at- In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature taching lugs and projecting therebeyond, in presence of twoWitnesses.

5 nuts Working upon the projecting portions CURTIS HASTINGS. [L. s.]

of the threaded elements, and means carried Witnesses: by the threadedelements and interposed be- EARL W. FERGUSON,

tween the nuts and the attaching lugs and A. C. BROWN.

